Faulty wiring blamed in fire that cost family its home

On Monday, Paula Leatherwood-Williams looks inside the home where she has lived for 15 years. It was destroyed by a fire Saturday.

Michelle Lepianka Carter | The Tuscaloosa News

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, July 15, 2013 at 11:47 p.m.

Peter Williams and his family spent Monday sifting through the debris of their home, which was destroyed by fire Saturday.

Electrical wiring caused a fire that burned most of the house on 36th Street where he had lived for 35 years.

“We’re going to go through and see if there’s anything we can save,” he said Monday afternoon.

No one was home at the time of the fire, which neighbors reported around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Williams was attending a funeral at the time and his daughter and her family were on their way to Atlanta.

Williams’ daughter, Paula Leatherwood-Williams, has lived in the house with her husband and three children for the past 15 years.

“We’ve made a lot of memories here,” she said Monday.

The family’s furniture, clothing and belongings that weren’t burned were damaged by either water or smoke. Leatherwood-Williams and her husband, Marcus Williams, are the parents of a 6-year-old daughter and two sons, 15 and 18.

“What we lost were just material things. We’re just glad that no one was hurt,” she said.

Her father was glad that the fire didn’t happen at night, when the family was at home sleeping. They’re staying with other family members now, but Peter Williams said that he will move back.

“We’ll come back when it’s rebuilt,” he said. “We’ve been here for so long.”

<p>Peter Williams and his family spent Monday sifting through the debris of their home, which was destroyed by fire Saturday.</p><p>Electrical wiring caused a fire that burned most of the house on 36th Street where he had lived for 35 years.</p><p>“We're going to go through and see if there's anything we can save,” he said Monday afternoon.</p><p>No one was home at the time of the fire, which neighbors reported around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Williams was attending a funeral at the time and his daughter and her family were on their way to Atlanta.</p><p>Williams' daughter, Paula Leatherwood-Williams, has lived in the house with her husband and three children for the past 15 years.</p><p>“We've made a lot of memories here,” she said Monday.</p><p>The family's furniture, clothing and belongings that weren't burned were damaged by either water or smoke. Leatherwood-Williams and her husband, Marcus Williams, are the parents of a 6-year-old daughter and two sons, 15 and 18.</p><p>“What we lost were just material things. We're just glad that no one was hurt,” she said.</p><p>Her father was glad that the fire didn't happen at night, when the family was at home sleeping. They're staying with other family members now, but Peter Williams said that he will move back.</p><p>“We'll come back when it's rebuilt,” he said. “We've been here for so long.”</p><p>Reach Stephanie Taylor at stephanie.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0210.</p>